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To Sam28 August 2012

Im scared of my Dad

I am really scared of my dad, when i was younger, he used to hit me, throw stuff at me if i did somehting so little like accidentally knock over something. I am too scared to tell anyone, and he always shouts at me and threatens me, if i dont do it he will hit me. Im so scared of him, its unreal. I dont know what to do, and it happens with my sister aswell. Everyday it happens, and i want it to stop. He gets so angry really easily, he is really aggressive.

Sam29 August 2012

Hi there,

It sounds like life at home has been really tense for a long time so Im very glad youve been able to contact me - that was a really brave decision to make.

No one should be hitting you, or making you feeling scared in your own home. Home should be a place where you feel safe and happy. I would like you to know that whats happening to you and your sister is wrong and its also not yours or your sister's fault. As an adult, your dad should know that it is wrong to hurt other people, especially children.

I want to remind you that if you ever want help quickly, you can ring 999 and tell the police whats happening at home. The police are there to keep you and your sister safe.

You say you feel scared to tell anyone but you also want the violence to stop. I also want the violence to stop, and for you both to be safe, but for that to happen other people will need to be involved. It sounds like your dad will need help from other adults to be able to change his behaviour.

I wonder if there are any other adults in your family who can help take action to stop your dads violence? The police, doctors, and teachers also all have a responsibility to keep young people safe, so you could talk to any of them.

If you dont feel comfortable talking to them you could write them a note. You could also call ChildLine, and a counsellor would support you to find ways to tell someone else about your dad. A counsellor could even talk to social services or the police on your behalf, if you wanted them to do that. You can talk to ChildLine by calling 0800 1111 or by logging in for a 1-2-1 chat.

It might help you to look at the ChildLine page on physical abuse for more information on what you can do, and what might happen next.

Take care,

Sam

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